Dan Gilbert's Son Nick Will Have Brain Surgery

February 13th, 2018, 7:02 AM

Nick Gilbert at 14.

Nick Gilbert, son of Quicken Loans' founder Dan Gilbert, got a taste of the national limelight in 2011 when he was 14. He served as the Cleveland Cavaliers' representative in the NBA draft lottery wearing a bow tie and thick, dark-rimmed glasses. He was dubbed the franchise's good luck charm when they won the No. 1 pick, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Now the 21-year-old is set to undergo brain surgery, McMenamin writes:

He has already been through one life-saving brain surgery more than 10 years ago and has been treated by chemotherapy on and off for 15 years...

Gilbert's son was born with neurofibromatosis, commonly referred to as NF, a nerve disorder that causes tumors to grow anywhere in the body at any time. One out of 3,000 people on average is born with NF.

The procedure -- laser ablation brain surgery -- is scheduled for Tuesday. The tumor is located in the brain stem, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.